Friday August 19, 2022
Radio Free Asia —
Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s controversial power purchase deal from a Lao dam on the Mekong River, ending a 10-year legal effort by river activists to halt the power deal over environmental and social concerns.
The court in Bangkok dismissed an appeal in a lawsuit launched in 2012 by the Thai Mekong People’s Network from Eight Provinces requesting the scrapping the agreement signed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to buy electricity from the Xayaburi Dam, Laos’ first Mekong River dam.
The members of the network argued that EGAT’s power purchase agreement (PPA) is causing significant damage to the livelihoods and environment of millions of Mekong River Basin residents. The case, which was dismissed by a lower court, argued that Thai agencies involved in the approval process had failed to follow proper procedures, including consultations with people affected by the dam.
The Thai Supreme Administrative Court rejected the concerns Wednesday.
“The signing of the power purchase agreement with the Xayaburi Dam had no clear and direct impact on the environment and people,” the court said.